Fill Dirt Reveals Front Yard

The trench around the french drain was filled with gravel and fill dirt was brought around to the front of the house to fill in around the foundation. It look like an entrance now. The slope from the sidewalk isn’t nearly as steep as it seemed it would be.

On the right you can see the basement garages and the sloping driveway that has been mostly dug out. There will be a retaining wall on the left side of the driveway, beginning at the corner by the right window well. We were able to salvage some leftover pieces of the concrete panels that we’ll be able to use for most or all of the retaining wall.

One of the hallmarks of a craftsman style home is a small footprint. While this home won’t exactly qualify as a “craftsman cottage,” we have tried to maintain some of that look. You can see from this elevation that while the home is large, it doesn’t look overwhelming. Good design keeps the proportions in check.

Even after the front yard fill, we still have a lot of dirt left over to level the backyard. This will help us even out the large grass area in our backyard sports area without incurring an extra cost.